Sanctuary of thorns in a garden of cruelty (Pt.1 of Lost and Found)

Leda had imagined the birth would involve a child's shrill cry splitting the air and a burst of excited speaking.

But there were only murmurs and silence. Leda frowned, pressing her ear closer to the door.

She yelped as the door was swung back, and her father came marching out. 

"Father?" Leda called after him, running a little to keep up. "Father? What happened?" The king said nothing, vanishing around the corner and Leda stared after him.

Then she padded quietly into the birthing room, accidentally bumping into servants and the midwife. At the centre of it, was her stepmother, clutching a tiny bundle to her chest.

Was it dead? "Queen mother?" Leda asked hoarsely, her hands curling into fists. "What has-?"

Quiet, irritated mewling sounded from the bundle and Leda breathed out in relief. "Thank the gods." She declared, stepping closer to her unusually silent stepmother to peek at the crinkled face of the baby.

"Oh, it's adorable!" Leta declared to no one in particular. "May I hold it?"

Her stepmother nodded tearfully and handed Leda the baby. "It's a girl."

"Hello little sister," Leda cooed to her, gently pushing at one angry, pink lip with her finger. "Aren't you just perfect?"

"No." Her stepmother said brokenly, and Leda frowned at her.

"The baby was early," The midwife explained, pulling Leda aside by the elbow. "Your father is furious. She's not the strong heir he'd expected. Please, take the child away for now." The midwife cast an anxious look at the Queen.

Leda glared at her stepmother before marching out. "I think you're perfect." She whispered to the baby, who squinted out of weak eyes. Hearing the sound of footsteps, Leda ducked behind a marble pillar.

She had learned as a child it was better to stay out of sight in the castle. Especially when her father was around.

"-another failure. I want it taken away from here, and disposed of, is that clear?" Her father snapped at a soldier. "I will not have people say my heirs are weaklings or freaks like Leda."

"Understood, sire." The soldier replied, walking towards the light of the birthing room.

Leda quickly raced away, clutching the baby to her chest.

Any castle, explored for long enough, reveals secrets. Especially to naughty, unwanted children. Leda crawled through one of the old servants' tunnels, careful to check the baby was breathing.

"Don't worry," She whispered to the mewling child. "I'll protect you, I swear." She heard footsteps on the other side of the passage and froze.

Dust gently rained down on Leda's hair. The baby sneezed. Leda stiffened.

The secret door slid open and Leda's tutor stared at her with mild annoyance on his face.

"Thought I'd find you here. How do you always manage to get into trouble?" He asked, leaning against the frame.

"Please." Leda stared at him, arms tightening around her bundle. "They'll kill her."

Martin narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Leda, she's frail. She'll die anyways."

Leda shook her head. "You told me that you almost got burned to death in your village. You said it was okay to be different!"

Her tutor rolled his eyes. "It's nice to see that you are capable of remembering some of my lessons." Martin sighed deeply. "Well, don't just stand there."

Leda grinned and followed him, ducking into rooms and avoiding the sounds of yelling and knights. Finally, Martin led her into the stables, and Leda clutched the whining baby tighter.

"You'll freeze to death," Martin remarked, eyeing her dress as he readied the horse. "Let me take the child, you stay here."

Leda remembered how her father condemned the child. "No." She backed away, glaring until Martin rolled his eyes again.

"It's one thing to steal a baby no one wants, but if your father finds out I abducted you as well-"

"I'm staying with her," Leda replied. "And I know how to ride a horse, so you can just stay here."

Martin shook his head and held the baby as she got onto the horse. Then he climbed on behind her, and lightly spurred the horse into action. "What kind of example would I be setting if I let a lady ride off alone in the darkness?"

They galloped through the mercifully open gates, right as the alarm bell started ringing.

"Where do we take her?" Leda asked, unable to think it over alone.

Martin scoffed. "You think I have a plan ?" But he was quiet for a moment, seriously thinking it over.

"Could we leave her with some kind villagers?" Leda suggested, thinking of the lovely stories she'd read.

Martin snorted. "The word villain comes from villager. And not bloody likely. The peasants are selling their own children to survive the drought, little lady, they're not going to keep your sister."

"Okay good, because I really want to visit her," Leda said, thinking that no other family would let her see the baby again.

The wind gently sighed, and Martin said nothing to that. Leda shuddered, her exposed arms red and cold.

"Leda..." Martin exhaled deeply. "You're a nice girl, brave even. But think, there is nowhere safe for your fragile little sister. The fae would imprison her, and the witches would sacrifice her. Maybe-"

Leda hated him at that moment. Until she heard a low, long call. "We can take her to the wolves."

"Feed her to the wolves?" She could hear the frown in Martin's words. "How is that any better-"

"No! Take her to the wolves, like Lupa." Leda grabbed the reins and kicked the horse into the forest.

She felt the trees whipping her hair and face, felt the baby pressed to her back in Martin's arms.

"Where are we going?" Martin shouted over the wind, the snapping of twigs and branches.

"Where the wolves are!" Leda shouted back, ears straining to catch the howl again.

"So glad I put my life in your hands."

Another howl went up, lightening Leda's heart. "They're calling to us!"

"Come here, supper, come closer!" Martin sang dryly behind her. "The easiest meal we've ever gotten!"

The horse finally thundered into a clearing and Leda slid off it, stumbling on the night-wet grass for a moment.

The wolves were tearing into a carcass, but some turned, growling lowly.

"For the love of magic." Martin sighed, handing Leda the baby and swinging himself off the horse. He stood in front of Leda and the anxious horse.

"Do something!" Leda hissed. "Aren't you a sorcerer?"

"Do something?" Martin repeated, as the wolves snarled and got closer. "I speak Latin not wolf. And if I was some all-powerful sorcerer, why am I a bloody tutor?"

Leda glared at him. "So what do we do?" She shrieked then as a wolf came closer. The baby writhed in her arms and wailed.

Martin pulled out a sword from the saddle bag. He swung it in front of the wolf, moonlight dancing off the blade. One arc of it and the wolf leaped back.

"Leda!" Martin kept swinging threateningly. "You're part fae. You have a connection with everything here."

"I don't know what to do!" Leda screamed as another wolf charged at them.

Martin yelled and flames erupted in the grass. It died almost immediately, and Martin hit the wolf with the sword, clumsily. "Do anything!"

Leda shook, placing the baby onto the grass. She pressed her hands to the icy blades, bowing to the wind blowing from the west. "Please." Leda clenched her eyes shut, hearing Martin shout in pain. "Please help me."

The wind suddenly changed course, and Leda's hair blew in front of her. The wolves' growling quieted, and all eyes, wolf, human, or otherwise, stared into the darkness of a grove.

A monstrously large paw emerged from the darkness and Leda waited to see the creature she had summoned.

A muzzle of grey, scarred and twisted emerged next, followed by fire-bright eyes.

"Leda, stay back!" Martin scrambled back on the grass, struggling to hold up the sword with his mangled arm.

A deep, dark voice spoke. "In the old days, gods were offered sacrifice before being summoned, child of fae and human both."

Leda knew a single tremble would cost her her life. She stepped around her crying sister and kept walking. Every muscle strained, ached to run back, run away.

She didn't stop until she was right in front of the staring wolf. "I apologize." Leda sunk into a careful bow, keeping her eyes on the wolf. "I meant no disrespect."

The wolf's hot breath blew over Leda in an amused huff. "Your friend's blood is sacrifice enough. What have you called me for child? Answer quickly, or my hungry children will get what they want."

Leda heard the low growling of the wolves watching them. "I have come to ask if you will take my sister, as you did with great warriors of the past. Protect her, and make her strong."

The wolf tilted her head and breathed in. "The whelp is weak. I would kill those in my litter like that."

"She's not weak!" Leda shouted, and refused to cringe even as Martin inhaled sharply. "You don't know that! Give her a chance, please!" She stared straight at the wolf, burying the shaking of her chin until it died.

The wolf lowered herself on her hunches. "A pity I don't take in fae young, little one, or I might accept you as well."

Leda waited, heart pounding. "You accept her? You'll keep her safe?"

"She will not be coddled, child. She will be raised as a wolf. If she doesn't survive puphood, I will leave her for my clan to eat." The wolf inclined her head. "Bring her to me. And say your goodbyes now."

Leda hated her heart's betrayal when tears stung her eyes. She slowly made her way back and picked up her small, tiny sister.

Martin gave her a sorrowful look and rubbed her shoulder. "You're doing the right thing."

Leda wanted anger. Anger at her father, anger at the world. But all she felt was grief.

"Please be strong. Please be safe. I love you." Leda murmured into her blanketed head, hot tears managing to escape. "Goodbye, little one."

The wolf tilted its head when Leda stopped in front of it.

"I'm sorry," She murmured, wiping at those traitorous tears. She lowered her baby sister at the wolf's feet.

"I shall raise the child as my own," The wolf declared. "If she is strong, a great warrior will rise. If she is weak-"

"She isn't." Leda interrupted stubbornly, and the wolf mother growled.

"We shall see." Then she picked up the now wailing baby by the blanket and ran into the woods.

Some of the wolves followed. The others resumed their meal.

Leda stared after them, tempted to run. To take her back.

"Leda. Leda, come on."

Martin was injured, but Leda didn't think of that, hanging on miserably as he half-dragged, half-carried her to the horse.

"Why did she have to leave?" Leda asked as they left the clearing. "They kept me. Even though-"

"The world is a cruel place, little princess. Your father is the gardener of further cruelty." Martin kept turning, peering into the darkness. "Blast, I have no idea where we're going."

"Do you think she's strong enough?" Leda coughed, shaking from the cold.

"Don't you?" Martin asked. Leda turned, confused.

"You saved her life because you thought she was worth it. Strong enough to live." Martin explained, urging the horse forward. "I only hope we're strong enough to survive these damned woods."

"What if she dies?" Leda cried. "I think I made a mistake-"

"'No one saves us but ourselves. No one can, and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.'" Martin smiled ruefully at Leda's face. "The words of a wise man a hundred years from now. Princess, she will be strong, or she won't be. You made the right choice."

Leda sniffled, staring at the trees. "You've led us the wrong way."

"Now you tell me," Martin grumbled, and Leda laughed.

"That's it, extra work for you, all of this week." Martin threatened when Leda wouldn't stop. "Even if you get sick."

"What if my father gets mad at you for helping me?" Leda asked suddenly, seeing the faraway spires of her dark home.

"I hadn't thought about that, but oh my, that is a problem," Martin said snidely.

Leda glared at him, always unsure of what he meant. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Martin rolled his eyes. "That's very kind, princess. I hope the wolf monster back there has room for another."

"What if my father burns you at the stake?"

"You better be ready with some water."